Red alert for economy of Brandenburg
For this reason, the State Association Berlin-Brandenburg of the Economic Council of the CDU e.V. yesterday had invited to a panel discussion on "Transport infrastructure, economy and logistics in the metropolitan region of Berlin-Brandenburg". Prof. Dr. Michael Schierack, chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in Brandenburg state parliament; Wolfgang Steiger, Secretary General of the Economic Council of the CDU e.V .; Dr. Werner Kook, Member of the Executive Board of the Rhenus Group and Member of the Executive Board Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe AG (NIAG) and Chairman of the Federal Commission on Transport, Logistics and Infrastructure of the Economic Council of the CDU eV and Rainer Genilke MdL, Deputy Group Chairman, Spokesman for Transport and Infrastructure Policy, CDU Group in the Brandenburg state parliament.
"In the rail it looks in the country is not better," said section spokesman Seeliger on. More and more residents and commuters in Brandenburg complained about bad connections, long travel times and crowded trains. Especially in rural areas, the situation has worsened and an improvement is not in sight. Another 60 stations in Brandenburg are threatened with closure. Seeliger: "At the same time, more than a third of all railway bridges are in need of major refurbishment, with eight percent causing such serious damage that economic rehabilitation is no longer possible Ten percent of the entire railway network is in a deplorable condition Bridges and road closures must not become routine in Brandenburg "A dilapidated infrastructure is a serious threat to Brandenburg's economy and competitiveness, and we need fast-paced solutions to stop the decline in substance," says Seeliger.
Not only the metropolitan region Berlin-Brandenburg is affected. For years, the German infrastructure suffers nationwide under chronic underfunding. The Secretary General of the Economic Council of the CDU e.V., Wolfgang Steiger, therefore urgently calls for a reform of the current infrastructure policy: "For example, the integration of private capital, such as those of countries like Australia or Belgium, would be conceivable." With annual increases in freight and passenger traffic, especially on the roads, Steiger calls for new mechanisms of transport Infrastructure financing away from car tolls and tax increases. He criticizes the inefficient structures and demands: "The existing system of transport revenue financing must undergo a fundamental transformation towards greater efficiency and transparency."
The Federal Government should use its strong parliamentary majority in parliament to create incentive schemes that reward faster and more cost-effective construction to reduce congestion and allow for faster infrastructure availability. It would also be useful to have network condition and performance reports via railways, so that for the first time policy-makers in parliament and ministries can get an overview of where the needs are most urgent and where investments will be most beneficial to the overall transport network.
The Economic Council of the CDU e.V. is a nationally organized entrepreneurial professional association. The Landesverband Berlin-Brandenburg has around 850 members who are involved in shaping politics at all levels.
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